Pop sound through low D when playing with pick

Oreomeister365 · #1 03-09-2007, 05:20 AM

I expect this has something to do with my pickups being too close to my strings, or my low D needing to raised or something, and I know it's not my rig because even when I'm at low volumes it still pops when I pick sem-hard (ie, that strength I like to pick at). That and it did it on my older rig too. Everything with my sound is near perfect, I just have to pluck my low D (drop D) relativley lightly. It is not fret buzz, a separate thing, almost like the pickups are...picking up something, but only from that string. I don't really want to pick that low D lightly because it detracts from the tone I'm trying to acheive, and sounds a lot less punchy than the rest of the strings.

Suggestions?

Thanks.

vindy500 · #2 03-09-2007, 05:22 AM

lower the pickup?

Scott in Dallas · #3 03-09-2007, 03:28 PM

I've been having similar problems with my Jazz because the string touches the pole piece and suddenly makes my effects processor clip. Seems like maybe I've heard people say that they put clear nail polish on the pole pieces for this? Is that accurate?

Turnaround · #4 03-09-2007, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott in Dallas

I've been having similar problems with my Jazz because the string touches the pole piece and suddenly makes my effects processor clip. Seems like maybe I've heard people say that they put clear nail polish on the pole pieces for this? Is that accurate?

If your strings are striking your pole pieces, the pickups are too high. Lower them.

D.A.R.K. · #5 03-09-2007, 03:37 PM

another trick is to cover the pole pieces with a piece of electrical tape.
this in no way effects the sound, it just keeps the string from contacting the poles.

Scott in Dallas · #6 03-09-2007, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turnaround

If your strings are striking your pole pieces, the pickups are too high. Lower them.

Maybe I should just remove them altogether? That'd fix it.

I have the pickups adjusted properly, and don't believe that just wrenching them down into the body is a practical solution, thanks.

I'd been thinking about using electrical tape and wondered if anyone had tried the nail polish thing. I'll definitely use the tape when I'm recording.

vindy500 · #7 03-09-2007, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott in Dallas

Maybe I should just remove them altogether? That'd fix it.

I have the pickups adjusted properly, and don't believe that just wrenching them down into the body is a practical solution, thanks.

I'd been thinking about using electrical tape and wondered if anyone had tried the nail polish thing. I'll definitely use the tape when I'm recording.

well enjoy your popping sound then

D.A.R.K. · #8 03-09-2007, 04:47 PM

i've used the electrical tape trick while recording bands in the studio many, many times.
works like a charm.
try it, at least to make sure it is the pole pieces,
especially before putting gooey nail polish on the poles(which might chip off anyway)

Scott in Dallas · #9 03-09-2007, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vindy500

well enjoy your popping sound then

Thanks for all your valuable input.

Have you heard the one about the guy who goes to the doctor and says, "Hey, Doc, it hurts when I do this"?

Hey Oreo, I guess the solution is you have to stop playing with a pick. Sorry.

Oreomeister365 · #10 03-09-2007, 10:02 PM

raised my string, made it sound less twangy (and it was a little excessivley twangy) and I rarely hear the pop now. Perhaps if I gave it another half turn then it'd be perfect.

vindy500 · #11 03-09-2007, 10:05 PM

or you could lower the pickup, get the extra distance from string to pickup and not need high action?

Scott in Dallas · #12 03-11-2007, 08:38 AM

Thanks for that, Joshua. Didn't mean for this to happen.

As for why I expressed interest in this fix, I don't hit the poles often, and it's not audible straight through my amplifier, but something about it kicks in the clipping circuit on the V-Amp, which makes a popping sound (probably as the clip light cuts on and off). That's the reason I was interested in this topic. Readjusting the pickups is the most obvious thing to do, but they are by no means "too high", because, again, the V-Amp is hyper-sensitive to it. I'm trying to compensate for a minor flaw in a budget effects processor which I otherwise love, without having to adjust my pickups and recreate every patch and level that I have set up. I could just lower the pickups, but that advice is about as useful as someone telling me I should throw the Behringer in the trash and buy a Bass POD.

Turnaround · #13 03-11-2007, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott in Dallas

I could just lower the pickups, but that advice is about as useful as someone telling me I should throw the Behringer in the trash and buy a Bass POD.

I really was trying to be helpful with that advice. Maybe it depends on the bass, but the strings usually bottom out on the upper frets and don't even come close to the pole pieces.

What kind of bass do you have? Maybe the geometery is different than what I am thinking of.

Scott in Dallas · #14 03-13-2007, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turnaround

I really was trying to be helpful with that advice. Maybe it depends on the bass, but the strings usually bottom out on the upper frets and don't even come close to the pole pieces.

What kind of bass do you have? Maybe the geometery is different than what I am thinking of.

Well it isn't the worst advice in the world. Typically the first thing to tell someone would be to lower the pickups. In my case the neck pickup is about as low as I can get it without having to change my patches. I actually dropped it a tad before posting up, and I'm just trying to keep the effects unit from clipping. In any other situation the strings could hit the pole pieces all day long and I probably wouldn't have a problem with it.

My reply to you did sound dickier than I intended, so sorry for that.

georgestrings · #15 03-14-2007, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott in Dallas

Maybe I should just remove them altogether? That'd fix it.

I have the pickups adjusted properly, and don't believe that just wrenching them down into the body is a practical solution, thanks.

I'd been thinking about using electrical tape and wondered if anyone had tried the nail polish thing. I'll definitely use the tape when I'm recording.

Yeah, I tried the nail polish routine during a similar situation, and lost more treble response than I cared for as a result - the black tape didn't affect anything that way, but completely eliminated any popping... You also might want to consider a heavier guage string for drop D tuning... I use a .110 instead for drop tunings, as opposed to the usual .105 for standard tuning...

- georgestrings